11 Handpicked Middle Grade Books for Reluctant Readers
The Anti-Algorithm Reading List
Our mission is to help you — parents — find the right books at the right moment, specifically tailored for your family. Those books are chosen by humans who know kids, not by algorithms that do not. We think it is essential to find the right books not only for your children but also for your family, because research has shown that kids who like to read and read daily perform better in science classes. They can understand more from texts and apply them throughout the school year. It also has other benefits, such as better mental health, as it enhances empathy and boosts cognitive functions. Here at Bon Temps Books, we offer a variety of picks based on your child and what they like.
2. The Egypt Game by Zilphar Keatly Snyder
Game #1 | Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Mystery | Ages 8-12 | 2 books in series
When two kids meet and are not sure they will have anything in common, they discover they both love things to do with ancient Egypt. They then decide to create the Egypt Game, but strange things begin to happen to the players.
For the kid who: turns cardboard boxes into kingdoms and insists everyone follow the rules.
3. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeekers #1 | Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Humor | Ages 8-12 | 7 books in series
A multiracial family of five kids in a Harlem brownstone has eleven days to convince their landlord not to evict them. Human plus heart in an urban setting, you seldom see in middle grade. Five siblings mean five completely different personalities—there is someone for every kid to identify with. The chaos feels real, not manufactured. These kids fail spectacularly and try again, which is the actual shape of childhood.
For the kid who: believes every crisis can be fixed if everyone works together.
Our next step is stretching imagination by curating a genre variety that expands what kids think books can be.
The final step is thinking deeper: books that are conversation starters, that spark family discussions.
4. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Realistic Fiction, Time Travel, Mystery | Ages 9-13
Mysterious notes. A best friendship quietly falling apart. A grounded mystery with a gentle sci-fi thread—believable, atmospheric, and rooted in 1980s New York. Miranda's entire world is her Manhattan block, her school, and her apartment, where she comes home on her own each afternoon. Time traveling is not about adventure—it is about whether you would sacrifice everything to save someone, and whether being saved is the same as being understood. The questions are real and weighty, but Stead trusts kids to handle them.
For the kid who: notices things you did not even see happen.
We start by building confidence. The following books are approachable wins that will hook reluctant readers.
5. Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
Historical Fantasy, Gothic | Ages 9-13
A girl who survives by climbing into chimneys accidentally builds a monster out of soot and loneliness. Same questions about responsibility, unintended consequences, and what we owe the things —and people— who rely on us. Any child praised for being “the good one” or “so helpful” will feel the sting of it. Set in Victorian London during child labor, but really asking: what happens when the only person who truly loves you is the monster you made?
For the kid who: loves stories with big hearts, brave friends, and a little bit of magic.
6. The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
Fantasy Adventure | Ages 9-13
Sai forges maps to escape the rigid class system she was born into. The world, inspired by Thailand and Southeast Asia, feels alive and authentic, not like a generic “exotic fantasy kingdom.” The story is full of survival and adventure, but the driving force is curiosity. Sai shows kids that asking questions — about how things work, why things are the way they are — is how you chart your own course instead of following someone else’s map. This is a slightly longer book; do not be intimidated by it!
For the kid who: keeps testing the edges of what they are “allowed” to do.
7. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Crossover #1 | Verse novel | Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Sports | Ages 10-14 | 3 books in series
Basketball plus twin brothers plus a believable family. Even kids who claim they hate poetry will be pulled in—the verse moves like the game: fast, rhythmic, impossible to put down. Short lines mean big feelings. White spaces give room to breathe—or to grieve. Kids learn that how a story is told changes what the story means.
For the kid who: cannot sit still and feels everything like it is happening in their whole body.
We will give you a bonus book, so that you can find the reading partnership book.
8. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Historical Fiction, Immigration | Ages 9-13
Esperanza’s life changes almost overnight. Her abuelita weaves a blanket throughout the story—a quiet act mirroring the patience, care, and memory needed to rebuild a life. Shows how families adapt, how personal strength is cultivated, and how the structures around us influence what is possible.
For the kid who: is figuring out that the character comes from who you are, not what you have.
9. A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
A Kind of Spark #1 | Contemporary Realism, Neurodivergence, Advocacy | Ages 9-13 | 3 books in series
Addie is autistic and sees patterns others miss, both a superpower and a source of exhaustion. She researches witch trials and realizes the ‘witches’ were probably autistic women.
For the kid who: cannot stay silent when they see something unfair.
How to make it work:
The Chapter Pact: Read the first three chapters together. If they are not curious by then, switch books. No guilt.
The Tandem Read: You read aloud while they draw, build, or listen. Hearing the prose read aloud helps kids absorb the world-building without the cognitive load of decoding.
The Nightly Ritual: Make it your bedtime book for a week. By the time the plot kicks in (around Chapter 5), they will be begging to read ahead on their own.
Why this matters: The algorithm rewards books that hook you in ten pages. But teaching your child that some stories are worth the wait? That is the literary skills that build readers who can handle Tolkien at 1, Toni Morrison at 16, and everything in between. This book does not apaologize for asking something of you. Neither should reading.
10. The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Mystery, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction | Ages 9-14
A letter in an attic draws Candice and Brandon into a decades-old mystery and buried family secrets. As they follow clues, the treasure hunt becomes a reckoning with how history shapes who gets to belong, who is believed, and who is erased. Dual timelines show how decisions made decades ago ripple forward.
For the kid who: loves solving puzzles and never lets a question go.
1. Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelley Jones
Unusual Chickens #1 | Epistolary | Magical Realism | Ages 8-12 | 2 books in series
Sophie’s grandmother just died, her family moved to a falling-apart farm in the middle of nowhere, and — oh yeah — the chickens have superpowers. Grief wrapped in absurdity, exactly how most kids need to process loss: by laughing at the impossible parts. The whole book is letters —to her mom, the feed-store guys, and the USDA agricultural office. Kids learn that how you tell a story shapes what story you are telling. Sophie’s voice —sarcastic, desperate to be taken seriously, tender when no one is watching— is the real magic here.
For the kid who: is funnier in their head than out loud.
11. The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
The Conjureverse #1 | Fantasy, Magic school | Ages 9-13 | 3 books published, 4th coming August 2026
This is not Hogwarts, it is a magic school rebuilt from scratch: Indian butterfly magic, Japanese twilight summoning, Caribbean star weaving. Ella is from a non-magical family and the only American in a school full of prodigies.
For the kid who: makes their own path when the world does not quite know what to do with them.